Try or Try On?

Try or Try On

Prepositions in both English and Spanish are very difficult for non-native speakers. I want to talk about the preposition “on” when used with the word “try.” Try has several meanings in English, but the meaning that I want to discuss here is the meaning “to sample, taste or test in order to evaluate.”

If somebody offers you some wine that you are not familiar with, she may say “Try it” or “Taste it.” She means that she wants you to sample it and see if you like it. The same term is used with food. Somebody may hand you a piece of food and say “Try it” or “Taste it.” They mean the same thing.

When the word “try” is used with clothing, you must use the preposition “on.” For example, if you are with a friend in a clothing store and see a sweater that you like, you’re friend might say “Try it on.” After trying it on, you might say “I tried it on, but it didn’t look good on me.” If you are in a shoe store with your friend and see a pair of shoes that you like, you might say “I think I’ll try them on.”

It is acceptable to use “try” without the “on” with some articles of clothing, but it changes the meaning completely. For example, suppose you bought a new pair of ski boots. A friend might ask you “Have you tried those new boots yet?” In this case your friend would not be asking whether you had “tried on” the boots to see if they fit. If he meant that he would have said “Have you tried on those new boots.” When he says “Have you tried those new boots yet?” he assumes that they fit. He is asking how they perform. Do they help you to ski better, are they comfortable after wearing them for a full day, etc.

Allusion or Illusion?

These two words sound almost identical when spoken quickly; however, they have entirely different meanings. An allusion is a reference to something or somebody. Synonyms are mention, hint, and suggestion. The Spanish translation is alusión. Below are some examples of its use in sentences:

-While talking about the immigration situation in the U.S. he made an allusion to the similar
situation in Spain.
-In the speakers presentation there was an allusion to the role of schools in society.
-He made an allusion to the role of the current administration in causing the problem.

An illusion is something that deceives by producing a false representation of reality. Synonyms are unreality, deception, and mirage. The Spanish translation is ilusión. Below are some examples of its use in sentences:

-His happiness was only an illusion.
-The color and size of the figure created the illusion that it was larger than it really was.
-The heat rising from the highway creates the optical illusion that the road is covered with
water.

Double click on the images above and you will find some exercises and answers to test your knowledge of the differences between the two words.

Exercises and Answers

Starting with the lesson "Fewer or Less," I have begun to include exercises with the grammar lessons so that those of you who wish to practice can do the exercises, and then immediately see the answers. In order to include the exercises and answers on the blog I had to convert them to jpg format, the same format in which photographs are stored. If you double click on the small figure to the left of the post you can open and then print the exercises. If you double click on the small figure on the right of the post you can open and print the answers.

Fewer or Less?

The words fewer and less have very similar meanings and both are usually translated using the Spanish word menos. They both refer to a decrease in an amount; however, they are used differently.

Fewer refers to a decrease in a countable quantity. Countable quantities are items that can be counted. For example books, houses, and cars are items that can be counted. We can say that we have three books in the bag, that there are six houses on our block, and that there are two cars in the parking lot. We can therefore use fewer to say things such as we have fewer books than you, that there are fewer houses on this block than on the next block, or that there are fewer cars in the parking lot than on the street.

Examples of things that cannot be counted include water, sunlight, and soil. We can, however, compare quantities of these items. We can say that there is less water in the bowl than yesterday, that there is less sunlight in this room than in that room, and that the heavy rains left us with less soil in our garden.

Occasionally there are some nouns that can use either adjective, and the choice will depend upon how the speaker is thinking of the object(s). For example, suppose we were using newspapers to protect a table top while we did some painting or other work on a table. Our friend put so much newspaper on the table that it not only protected the table, but it was actually making it difficult to work. We might say, “We need less newspaper on the table.” We wouldn’t be thinking of newspapers individually. We would be thinking in terms of the quantity of paper on the table. We would therefore use the word “less.”

Suppose, however, that we were staying in a hotel, and were accustomed to having eight or nine newspapers available for us to read when we went down to breakfast each morning. One day, instead of having eight or nine available, there are only four newspapers. We might say, “There are fewer newspapers today than there were yesterday.” In this case “fewer” is the word we would select. We would be thinking of individual newspapers, a quantity that can be counted.

Effect or Affect?

The two words “effect” and “affect” are confusing to many native English speakers. When spoken quickly, the words sound so similar that it can be difficult to discern which of the two the speaker is using.

“Affect” means to influence or to create a mental impression. Spanish synonyms include afectar, influir en, conmover. Here are some examples of its use.

- In the spring, the pollen from the trees affects my allergies. (Influences)
- The amount of sleep that I get affects how I feel in the morning. (Influences)
- The child’s crying affected me deeply. (Created a mental impression)

Notice that in each instance where we used “affect” we were stating that something influenced something else or that something created a feeling, or a mental impression.

“Effect” can be a noun or a verb. As a verb, it means to produce, to bring about, or to cause. Spanish synonyms include efectuar and llevar a cabo. Here are some example of its usage as a verb.

- During his term as president he was able to effect many beneficial changes.
- He effected the force needed to move the organization forward.

“Effect,” used as a verb, is not very common in English, and can sound funny even when properly used. I personally would advise somebody that is just learning English to avoid using it as a verb. There are plenty of other words that are more commonly used that mean the same thing.

“Effect” when used as a noun means something that is produced, a result, a consequence, or a mental or emotional impression. It is used very frequently in English and the Spanish speaker should have no fear of using it. Spanish synonyms include efecto and impresión. Here are some examples of its use as a noun.

- The cut on his hand was the effect of getting it caught in the door. (Result)
- The boss’s sarcasm had a devastating effect on the worker. (Emotional impression)
- Hotter summers is one of the effects of global warming. (Consequence)

“Affect” can be used as a noun, but it is very rare, and is principally used in medicine or psychiatry. The person new to English can assume that he or she will never have occasion to use “affect” as a noun. “Affect,” when used as a verb, can also mean to feign or pretend (fingir in Spanish), but that is also a less common usage.

Me or I?

Do you know the difference between these two sentences?

She likes him more than me.
She likes him more than I.

Probably most English speakers wouldn’t be able to tell you the difference, but the two sentences mean completely different things. To show the difference, I’ll add the words that are not spoken, but that can be inferred from the case of the pronouns.

She likes him more than she likes me.
She likes him more than I like him.

How do you know that? In sentence 1, “him” and “me” are pronouns in the “objective case.” They must be objects in the sentence. In sentence 2, “I” is in the “subjective case” it cannot serve as an object.

Anyone or Any one?

Does "anyone" mean the same as "any one?" When spoken they sound identical, but when written they have different meanings.

Use "anyone" when you mean any person whatsoever (cualquier persona). For example: Anyone can do it. (Cualquier persona puede hacerlo.)

Use "any one" when you mean one person out of the group. For example: Any one of the cashiers can help you with your purchases. (Cualquier de los cajeros puede ayudarte con tus compras.)